Acclaimed metal bassist Steve DiGiorgio, renowned for his work with bands like Testament and Death, recently offered a rare glimpse into his contributions to Megadeth‘s 2022 album, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! During an interview on the Scars And Guitars podcast with host Andrew McKaysmith, DiGiorgio not only discussed the recording process but also confirmed a face-to-face meeting with David Ellefson, whose bass tracks he re-recorded for the album.
DiGiorgio was brought into the studio in the summer of 2021 to lay down basslines, following Ellefson‘s highly publicized departure from Megadeth. While his involvement was initially kept discreet, it was later confirmed that DiGiorgio was the uncredited bassist on the record, stepping in during a transitional period for the band.
Reflecting on the recording experience, DiGiorgio admitted he approached the task with clear parameters, understanding the established sound of Megadeth. “I wasn’t so naive that I thought I could go in there and reinvent Megadeth,” he shared. “I knew strict guidelines. I’m redoing stuff that they’ve already lived with. There was a lot of things that I was already preparing myself to just go in, be professional and get it done.”
However, he was pleasantly surprised by the flexibility offered by Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine. “Dave [Mustaine] would come to me and say, ‘You know, this section right here needs a little animation. What do you got? Stretch out. Show me something. Play something.’ And there was a few times he did that,” DiGiorgio recalled. “And I had kind of committed myself to just paint by numbers and get it done nicely. And he was cool. There was some flexibility. Yeah, it was cool. Like I said, the margins were very tight. It was already done. It’s Megadeth. They have a formula.”
To match Megadeth‘s signature sound, DiGiorgio prepared diligently. “I got my chops up with a pick to make sure that I got the sound they’re used to,” he explained. While he primarily used a pick, he noted that Mustaine was open to flexibility where needed. “When it’s just really flying fast, I had a good feel and I could go. But when the string skipping, that’s where I told him flat out, ‘I’m not proficient here.’ … And as long as it sounded good, he’d be okay. There wasn’t a rule.”
DiGiorgio recounted an exchange where Mustaine recognized his effort: “Dave just looks at me and he goes, ‘That’s what’s very admirable about you. You come in here being an almost-zero pick player and here you are grabbing it and f**king crushing through it.’ And he goes, ‘Take all the time you need. This is awesome. I’m watching you grow as a player.’”
One of the most intriguing revelations from the interview was DiGiorgio‘s direct conversation with David Ellefson about his role on The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!. The opportunity arose when Ellefson’s band Dieth opened for Testament and Voivod during a European tour. “Yeah, I did. I finally got him one-on-one,” DiGiorgio confirmed. He described initiating the conversation: “Some of the soundchecks were done and people were going out for lunch or whatever, and the venue was real quiet. And I go, ‘Dave, come in here, man.’ I closed the door. And I said, ‘All right. Tell me, what do you think? I’m here. What’s up?’”
DiGiorgio was impressed by Ellefson‘s positive demeanor despite the circumstances. “I could see how he made it through that whole — what would you call it? — scandal and how he made it through that as a champ and how he took his exit from the band the way he did, because the way he just told me how he viewed it all happening, he just had a smile on his face and he gave me no heavy trip at all,” he shared.
“And he’s a very supportive, super f**king positive guy.” The conversation quickly moved past the initial awkwardness. “We had talked about me replacing his basslines very quickly, got that outta the way, and then the rest turned into just, like, ‘Hey, what about Dave’s tech Brian? He’s a cool guy.’ ‘Yeah. Oh yeah.’ ‘Hey, did you go to that restaurant down the street?’ ‘Yeah.’ And it just turned into this kind of camaraderie thing,” DiGiorgio recounted. “So, yeah, I was glad I did it… Even in this awkward situation, he embraces the future, man. And I was kind of inspired after. I’m, like, man, this guy had a lot hit him, and I’m the guy who came in [and replaced his tracks].”
DiGiorgio emphasized that there was a significant time gap between Ellefson‘s departure and his own involvement, which contributed to the amicable interaction.
“In his mind, he was completely done and over and gone. And then the news about replacing the bass came out, and he’s heard of me through all the Testament guys and stuff. So, yeah, we had no hatchet to bury or anything. He’s a f**king pleasant guy,” he concluded. “And it was cool to finally meet him, ’cause I know that my [Testament] guys — Chuck [Billy] and Alex [Skolnick] — played with him in Metal Allegiance, and they’re really tight, and it’s, like, we should get to know each other, ’cause our bands are always crossing paths and stuff. So it was really cool.”
